Handheld printing device for optical medical examinations

ABSTRACT

A handheld device for performing an optical medical examination of a patient. The device comprises a handle; an image sensor positioned at an end of the handle; a trigger provided in the handle; an image memory for storing the image data upon activation of the trigger; a roll of print media mounted in the handle; an ink supply within a core of the roll of print media; a media transportation mechanism; a pagewidth print head extending longitudinally within the handle; a guillotine mechanism for severing a printed image from the transported print media; and a print engine controller.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.10/451,722 filed Jun. 23, 2003, which is a 371 of PCT/AU01/01513 filedon Nov. 22, 2001.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The following invention relates to a device having an in-built imagesensor and an internal print engine. More particularly, the inventionrelates to an otoscope having an internal printer.

Conventional otoscopes include a lens associate with an eyepiece throughwhich a doctor views the external ear cavity of a patient. Such devicesalso include a battery-operated light source to illuminate the externalear cavity for viewing by the doctor.

It would be beneficial to both doctor and patient if a permanent graphicrecord of the appearance of the external ear cavity could be providedinexpensively and instantaneously. This might be achieved by a hand-heldotoscope having an internal printer adapted to print a graphic image ofthe external ear cavity as observed by a doctor with the otoscope.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

There is disclosed herein a hand-held otoscope having a built-in printerfor printing a graphic image of an external ear cavity as received bythe otoscope.

Preferably the printer is built into a handle of the otoscope.

Preferably the otoscope includes an image sensor associated with a printengine controller which controls a print head.

Preferably associated with the image sensor and print engine controlleris a micro-control circuit adapted to control a motor driver for printmedia transportation and a motor driver for operation of a guillotinemotor for severing a printed image from a roller of print media.

Preferably associated with the print engine controller is an imagememory.

Preferably the print head is a monolithic pagewidth print head.

Preferably the print head is an ink jet print head.

Preferably the otoscope includes a light source for illuminating theexternal ear cavity of a patient for viewing by a doctor with theotoscope.

Preferably the printer includes a print engine assembly comprising firstand second sub-assemblies, the first sub-assembly incorporating an inksource and print media and the second sub-assembly incorporating a printhead.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference tothe accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:—

FIG. 1 shows a three dimensional view of a print engine, includingcomponents in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a three dimensional, exploded view of the print engine;

FIG. 3 shows a three dimensional view of the print engine with aremovable print cartridge used with the print engine removed;

FIG. 4 shows a three dimensional, rear view of the print engine with theprint cartridge shown in dotted lines;

FIG. 5 shows a three dimensional, sectional view of the print engine;

FIG. 6 shows a three dimensional, exploded view of a print headsub-assembly of the print engine;

FIG. 7 shows a partly cutaway view of the print head sub-assembly;

FIG. 8 shows a sectional end view of the print head sub-assembly with acapping mechanism in a capping position;

FIG. 9 shows the print head sub-assembly with the capping mechanism inits uncapped position;

FIG. 10 shows an exploded, three dimensional view of an air supplyarrangement of the print engine;

FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram of components incorporated into anotoscope having a built-in printer; and

FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view of an otoscope having a printerbuilt into its handle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In FIGS. 1 to 10 of the accompanying drawings, reference numeral 500generally designates a print engine, in accordance with the invention.The print engine 500 includes a print engine assembly 502 on which aprint roll cartridge 504 is removably mountable.

The print cartridge 504 is described in greater detail in our co-pendingapplications PCT/AU00/00741 and PCT/AU00/742, the contents of thatdisclosure being specifically incorporated herein by reference.

The print engine assembly 502 comprises a first sub-assembly 506 and asecond, print head sub-assembly 508.

The sub-assembly 506 includes a chassis 510. The chassis 510 comprises afirst molding 512 in which ink supply channels 514 are molded. The inksupply channels 514 supply inks from the print cartridge 504 to a printhead 516 {FIGS. 5 to 7) of the print head sub-assembly 508. The printhead 516 prints in four colors or three colors plus ink which is visiblein the infra-red light spectrum only (hereinafter referred to as‘infra-red ink’). Accordingly, four ink supply channels 514 are definedin the molding 512 together with an air supply channel 518. The airsupply channel 518 supplies air to the print head 516 to inhibit thebuild up of foreign particles on a nozzle guard of the print head 516.

The chassis 510 further includes a cover molding 520. The cover molding520 supports a pump 522 thereon. The pump 522 is a suction pump, whichdraws air through an air filter in the print cartridge 504 via an airinlet pin 524 and an air inlet opening 526. Air is expelled through anoutlet opening 528 into the air supply channel 518 of the chassis 510.

The chassis 510 further supports a first drive motor in the form of astepper motor 530. The stepper motor 530 drives the pump 522 via a firstgear train 532. The stepper motor 530 is also connected to a driveroller 534 (FIG. 5) of a roller assembly 536 of the print cartridge 504via a second gear train 538. The gear train 538 engages an engageableelement 540 (FIG. 2) carried at an end of the drive roller 534. Thestepper motor 530 thus controls the feed of print media 542 to the printhead 516 of the sub-assembly 508 to enable an image to be printed on theprint media 542 as it passes beneath the print head 516. It also to benoted that, as the stepper motor 530 is only operated to advance theprint media 542, the pump 522 is only operational to blow air over theprint head 516 when printing takes place on the print media 542.

The molding 512 of the chassis 510 also supports a plurality of inksupply conduits in the form of pins 544 which are in communication withthe ink supply channels 514. The ink supply pins 544 are receivedthrough an elastomeric collar assembly 546 of the print cartridge 504for drawing ink from ink chambers or reservoirs 548 (FIG. 5) in theprint cartridge 504 to be supplied to the print head 516.

A second motor 550, which is a DC motor, is supported on the covermolding 520 of the chassis 510 via clips 552. The motor 550 is providedto drive a separating means in the form of a cutter arm assembly 554 topart a piece of the print media 542, after an image has been printedthereon, from a remainder of the print media. The motor 550 carries abeveled gear 556 on an output shaft thereof. The beveled gear 556 mesheswith a beveled gear 558 carried on a worm gear 560 of the cutterassembly 554. The worm gear 560 is rotatably supported via bearings 562in a chassis base plate 564 of the print head sub-assembly 508.

The cutter assembly 554 includes a cutter wheel 566, which is supportedon a resiliently flexible arm 568 on a mounting block 570. The worm gear560 passes through the mounting block 570 such that, when the worm gear560 is rotated, the mounting block 570 and the cutter wheel 566 traversethe chassis base plate 564. The mounting block 570 bears against a lip572 of the base plate 564 to inhibit rotation of the mounting block 570relative to the worm gear 560. Further, to effect cutting of the printmedia 542, the cutter wheel 566 bears against an upper housing or capportion 574 of the print head sub-assembly 508. This cap portion 574 isa metal portion. Hence, as the cutter wheel 566 traverses the cappedportion 574, a scissors-like cutting action is imparted to the printmedia to separate that part of the print media 542 on which the imagehas been printed.

The sub-assembly 506 includes an ejector mechanism 576. The ejectormechanism 576 is carried on the chassis 510 and has a collar 578 havingclips 580, which clip and affix the ejector mechanism 576 to the chassis510. The collar 578 supports an insert 582 of an elastomeric materialtherein. The elastomeric insert 582 defines a plurality of openings 584.The openings 584 close off inlet openings of the pins 544 to inhibit theingress of foreign particles into the pins 544 and, in so doing, intothe channels 514 and the print head 516. In addition, the insert 584defines a land or platform 586 which closes off an inlet opening of theair inlet pin 524 for the same purposes.

A coil spring 588 is arranged between the chassis 510 and the collar 578to urge the collar 578 to a spaced position relative to the chassis 510when the cartridge 504 is removed from the print engine 500, as shown ingreater detail in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The ejector mechanism 576 isshown in its retracted position in FIG. 4 of the drawings.

The print head sub-assembly 508 includes, as described above, the baseplate 564. A capping mechanism 590 is supported displaceably on the baseplate 564 to be displaceable towards and away from the print head 516.The capping mechanism 590 includes an elongate rib 592 arranged on acarrier 593. The carrier is supported by a displacement mechanism 594,which displaces the rib 592 into abutment with the print head 516 whenthe print head 516 is inoperative. Conversely, when the print head 516is operational, the displacement mechanism 594 is operable to retractthe rib 592 out of abutment with the print head 516.

The print head sub-assembly 508 includes a print head support molding596 on which the print head 516 is mounted. The molding 596, togetherwith an insert 599 arranged in the molding 596, defines a passage 598through which the print media 542 passes when an image is to be printedthereon. A groove 700 is defined in the molding 596 through which thecapping mechanism 590 projects when the capping mechanism 590 is in itscapping position.

An ink feed arrangement 702 is supported by the insert 599 beneath thecap portion 574. The ink feed arrangement 702 comprises a spine portion704 and a casing 706 mounted on the spine portion 704. The spine portion704 and the casing 706, between them, define ink feed galleries 708which are in communication with the ink supply channels 514 in thechassis 510 for feeding ink via passages 710 (FIG. 7) to the print head516.

An air supply channel 711 (FIG. 8) is defined in the spine portion 704,alongside the print head 516.

Electrical signals are provided to the print head 516 via a TAB film 712which is held captive between the insert 599 and the ink feedarrangement 702.

The molding 596 includes an angled wing portion 714. A flexible printedcircuit board (PCB) 716 is supported on and secured to the wing portion714. The flex PCB 716 makes electrical contact with the TAB film 712 bybeing urged into engagement with the TAB film 712 via a rib 718 of theinsert 599. The flex PCB 716 supports busbars 720 thereon. The busbars720 provide power to the print head 516 and to the other poweredcomponents of the print engine 500. Further, a camera print enginecontrol chip 721 is supported on the flex PCB 716 together with a QAchip (not shown) which authenticates that the cartridge 504 iscompatible and compliant with the print engine 500. For this purpose,the PCB 716 includes contacts 723, which engage contacts 725 in theprint cartridge 504.

As illustrated more clearly in FIG. 7 of the drawings, the print headitself includes a nozzle guard 722 arranged on a silicon wafer 724. Theink is supplied to a nozzle array (not shown) of the print head 516 viaan ink supply member 726. The ink supply member 726 communicates withoutlets of the passages 710 of the ink feed arrangement 702 for feedingink to the array of nozzles of the print head 516, on demand.

In FIG. 10, the air supply path for supplying air to the print head 516is shown in greater detail. As illustrated, the pump 522 includes animpeller 728 closed off by an end cap 730. The cover molding 520 of thechassis forms a receptacle 732 for the impeller 728. The cover molding520 has the air inlet opening 734 and the air outlet opening 736. Theair inlet opening 734 communicates with the pin 524. The air outletopening 736 feeds air to the air supply channel 518 which, in FIG. 10,is shown as a solid black line. The air fed from the air supply channel518 is blown into the print head 516 to effect cleaning of the printhead. The air drawn in via the pump 522 is filtered by an air filter738, which is accommodated in the print cartridge 504. The air filter738 has a filter element 740 which may be paper based or made of someother suitable filtering media. The filter element 740 is housed in acanister, having a base 742 and a lid 744. The lid 744 has an opening746 defined therein. The opening 746 is closed off by a film 748 whichis pierced by the pin 524. The advantage of having the air filter 738 inthe print cartridge 504 is that the air filter 738 is replaced when theprint cartridge 504 is replaced.

It is an advantage of the invention that an air pump 522 is driven bythe stepper motor 530, which also controls feed of the print media tothe print head 516. In so doing, fewer components are required for theprint engine 500 rendering it more compact. In addition, as the samemotor 530 is used for operating the air pump 522 and for feeding theprint media 542 to the print head 516, fewer power consuming componentsare included in the print engine 500 rendering it more compact andcheaper to produce.

It is also to be noted that, in order to make the print engine 500 morecompact, the size of the print engine assembly 502 is such that most ofthe components of the assembly 502 are received within a footprint of anend of the print cartridge 504.

In FIG. 11 there is schematically depicted in block diagram form the keyinternal components of an otoscope having an internal printer. Theprinter would typically utilize a monolithic print head 814 which couldbe the same as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10, butcould alternatively be another compact print head capable of printing onphotograph-sized print media. An image sensor 806 receives images from alens 802 (FIG. 12) of the otoscope. Image data from the image sensor 806is fed to a print engine controller 813 which controls the print head814. A memory 815 is associated with the print engine controller andstores an image memory. This image memory might be stored upondepression of a trigger 817 for example.

A micro-controller 807 associated with the image sensor and print enginecontroller controls a motor driver 809 which in turn drives a mediatransport device 810. This might be the same as stepper motor 530described earlier.

The micro-controller 807 also controls a motor driver 811 which in turncontrols a guillotine motor 812 to sever a printed sheet from anin-built roll of print media after an image is printed. A sheet beingdriven by media transport device 810 is shown in dotted lines at 816 inFIG. 12. The guillotine might be of the form of cutter wheel 566described earlier.

A light source (not shown) might be provided in association with lens802 to illuminate the external ear cavity for viewing through eyepiece801 and to be received by image sensor 806.

In use, a doctor holding handle 803 of otoscope 800 would use eyepiece801 to view the external ear cavity after inserting the lens 802therein. When ready, the trigger 807 can be depressed to activate theprint engine controller to print an image stored in memory 815. Thiswould in turn activate the micro-controller 807 to activate the mediatransport 810 and guillotine 812. A printed image 816 having passed outof handle 803 via slot 804 would then be available as a permanent recordand for viewing by the doctor and patient.

While particular embodiments of this invention have been described, itwill be evident to those skilled in the art that the present inventionmay be embodied in other specific forms without departing from theessential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments and examplesare therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appendedclaims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which comewithin the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are thereforeintended to be embraced therein. It will further be understood that anyreference herein to known prior art does not, unless the contraryindication appears, constitute an admission that such prior art iscommonly known by those skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates.

1. A handheld device for performing an optical medical examination of apatient, said device comprising: a handle; an image sensor for receivingimage data representing the optical medical examination of the patient,the image sensor being positioned at an end of the handle; a triggerprovided in the handle; an image memory for storing the image data uponactivation of the trigger; a roll of print media mounted in the handle;an ink supply within a core of the roll of print media; a mediatransportation mechanism for transporting print media from the roll uponactivation of the trigger; a pagewidth print head extendinglongitudinally within the handle for printing a graphic image based onthe image data using ink supplied from the ink supply; a guillotinemechanism for severing a printed image from the transported print media;and, a print engine controller which receives the image data from theimage memory and which controls the media transportation mechanism,print head and guillotine mechanism upon activation of the trigger. 2.The handheld device of claim 1 further comprising a micro-controlcircuit adapted to control a motor driver for the media transportationand guillotine mechanisms, said micro-control circuit being associatedwith the image sensor and the print engine controller.
 3. The handhelddevice of claim 1 wherein the print head is an ink jet print head. 4.The handheld device of claim 1, further comprising a light source forilluminating an area of the patient being examined.
 5. The handhelddevice of claim 1, which is an otoscope.